AZERBAIJANI, SOUTH(AZERI)
[AZB]
13,000,000 or more in Iran (1991), over 20% of the population (1991), including
290,000 Afshar, 5,000 Aynallu, 7,500 Baharlu, 1,000 Moqaddam, 3,500 Nafar 1,000
Pishagchi, 3,000 Qajar, 2,000 Qaragozlu, 130,000 Shahsavani (1993); 5,000 or
fewer in Afghanistan; 300,000 to 900,000 or more in Iraq; 30,000 in Syria
(1961); 530,000 or more in Turkey; 4,000 in Jordan; 13,869,000 or more in all
countries. East and west Azerbaijan, Zanjan, and part of central provinces.
Many in a few districts of Tehran. Some Azerbaijani-speaking groups are in Fars
Province and other parts of Iran. Also in USA. Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani.
Dialects: AYNALLU (INALLU, INANLU), KARAPAPAKH, TABRIZ, AFSHARI (AFSHAR,
AFSAR), SHAHSAVANI (SHAHSEVEN), MOQADDAM, BAHARLU (KAMESH), NAFAR, QARAGOZLU,
PISHAGCHI, BAYAT, QAJAR. People called 'Turki' (Turks). In general not written,
but occasionally with Arabo-Persian script in Iran. Distinctive dialect
differences between the Azerbaijani of the former USSR (North) and Iranian
Azerbaijani (South) in phonology, lexicon, morphology, and syntax. Teimurtash
(7,000 in Mazandaran; possibly the same as Teimuri, Timuri, Taimouri) and
Salchug (in Kerman Province) may be dialects. Qashqai is probably a dialect.
Language of wider communication. Agriculturalists, pastoralists. Shi'a Muslim.
Work in progress.

GEORGIAN(KARTULI, GRUZIN)
[GEO]
1,000 to 10,000 in Iran; 3,901,380 in Georgia (1993); 13,595 in Azerbaijan
(1979); 40,000 in Turkey (1980 estimate); 757 in USA (1970 census); 4,103,000
in all countries. Also in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. South
Caucasian, Georgian. Dialect: FEREJDAN. Ferejdan dialect is or was in Iran;
there may not be any now. Imerxev dialect is in Turkey. In Georgia it has a
script of its own called Mkhedruli which Georgians in Iran probably cannot
read. Muslim. Bible 1743-1989. NT 1709-1993. Bible portions 1709-1982.

GILAKI(GELAKI, GILANI)
[GLK]
3,265,000 (1993), including 2,000 Galeshi (1991 WA). Gilan region, coastal
plain, south of Talish. Galeshi is a mountain dialect. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian,
Western, Northwestern, Caspian. Dialect: GALESHI. Not in written form. Close to
Mazanderani. Speakers use Western Farsi as second language. The educated can
read Farsi well. Agriculturalists, fishermen. Shi'a Muslim, Christian. Work in
progress.

KAZAKH(KAZAK, KAZAKHI, QAZAQI)
[KAZ]
3,000 in Iran (1982 estimate); 6,556,000 in Kazakhstan (1979 census); 1,111,718
in China (1990); 100,000 in Mongolia (1991); 2,000 in Afghanistan; 600 or more
in Turkey (1982); 8,000,000 or more in all countries. Gorgan City, Mazandaran
Province. Also in Germany. Altaic,
Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian. Any who are literate would use Arabic script.
Muslim. NT 1820-1910, out of print. Bible portions 1818-1989. Work in progress.

KHALAJ
[KLJ]
17,000 and decreasing (1968). Northeast of Arak in Central Province. Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani. Not a
dialect of Azerbaijani, as previously supposed. An independent language
distinct from other extant Turkish languages (Doerfer 1971). Most are bilingual
in Farsi; some children know only Farsi. Muslim. Survey needed.

KHORASANI TURKISH(QUCHANI)
[KMZ]
400,000 possibly (1977 Doerfer). Northeast Iran, in the northern part of
Khorasan Province, especially northwest of Mashhad. West dialect in Bojnurd
region; north dialect in Quchan region (probably the largest), south dialect
around Soltanabad near Sabzevar. Altaic,
Turkic, Southern, Turkish. Dialects: WEST QUCHANI (NORTHWEST QUCHANI), NORTH
QUCHANI (NORTHEAST QUCHANI), SOUTH QUCHANI. Midway linguistically between
Azerbaijani and Turkmen, but not a dialect of either. Bilingual in Farsi. Not a
literary language, but the government broadcasts in Quchani. Oghuz-Uzbek in
Uzbekistan is reported to be a dialect of this. Distinct from Khorasani, a
local Persian dialect in Khorasan. Muslim. Survey needed.

KOROSHI
[KTL]
160 to 200, or 40 to 50 families (Mohamedi). Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian,
Western, Northwestern, Baluchi. Appears to be Baluchi with some features of
Farsi. They work for the Qashqai people. Camel keepers. Survey needed.

KURDI(KURDY, SOUTHERN KURDISH. SORANI, KORKORA, WÂWÂ)
[KDB]
3,250,000 in Iran; 6,036,000 in all countries. Northwest Iran, primarily
Kordestan, Kermanshahan, West Azerbaijan provinces; also a large number in
northeast Iran, in the very north of Khorasan Province. Also in Iraq and USA.
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian,
Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish. Dialects: KERMANSHAHI, MUKRI, JAFI.
90% are settled in cities or villages, 10% are nomadic. Arabic script used in
Iran and Iraq. Jafi may be a separate language. 1% literate; 15% literacy among
boys. Teaching Kurdi is prohibited in Iranian schools (Time 4/1/91). Language
of wider communication. Muslim (mainly Sunni, some Shi'a), Christian. NT 1994.
Bible portions 1894-1972.

MANDAIC(MANDAEAN, NEO-MANDAIC, MODERN MANDAIC, MANDA:YI, MANDI, SUBBI, SA'IBA)
[MID]
800 to 1,000 speakers in Iran, out of an ethnic group of 5,000 in Khuzistan,
Iran who speak Western Farsi. 23,000 ethnic Mandaeans in Iraq all speak Arabic
(1994 H. Mutzafi), but some older people are reported to be bilingual in
Mandaic. There may be some in USA. Khuzistan. Speakers reported in Khuzistan in
the 1960's. Ethnic Mandaeans in Iraq now do not speak Mandaic. Assyrians in the
USA report Mandaic speakers there, whom they call 'Yokhananaye'. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central,
Aramaic, Eastern, Mandaic. Dialects: AHW:AZ (AHVAZ), SHUSHTAR. Little dialect
variation. Speakers use Western Farsi as second language. Mandaic script used.
Mandaism (Gnostic). Survey needed.

MANDAIC, CLASSICAL(CLASSICAL MANDAEAN)
[MYZ]
Also used in Iraq and small communities in the USA and Australia (300 Mandaeans
in Sydney in 1995). Afro-Asiatic,
Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Mandaic. The liturgical language used by
followers of the Mandaean religion. Appears to be the direct ancestor of Modern
Mandaic. Mandaic script used. Mandaism. Extinct.

RASHTI
[RSH]
Rasht city, the provincial capital of Gilan. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian,
Western, Northwestern, Caspian. Closely related to Gilaki, but significantly
different to need separate literature. Heavy influence from Farsi. 'Real'
Gilaki of the countryside is not intelligible to speakers of Rashti. Speakers
are fairly bilingual in Farsi. Work in progress.

TAT, MUSLIM(MUSSULMAN TATI)
[TTT]
30,000 in both countries (1994 UBS); 22,000 in Azerbaijan. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian,
Western, Southwestern, Tati. Difficult intelligibility with Judeo-Tat. Not
written; they use Azerbaijani as a literary language in Azerbaijan. There may
be a Christian dialect. Different from Takestani of Iran. Shi'a Muslim. Work in
progress.